Determinants of secondary school dropout in Gilgil division of Naivasha district

Abstract

This project study wills to determine the causes of drop out among secondary school students in Naivasha District. The research tried to find out whether community, social, school or economic based factors contribute to the issue of drop out. The magnitude, causes and the way forward as well as recommendations on drop out problem were identified. From the literature review, a conceptual framework was designed describing the variables and their expected effects on the school drop out. Questionnaire was used as a research instrument for each selected participant in the study. The selected study design was descriptive research design corrurionly known as Ex post facto research since the researcher has no control over the variables and one can only report what has happened or is happening. The study sampled schools using simple random sampling based on folding of papers. Out of the eleven schools in Gilgil Division ten were selected that had a tick on the folded papers and the one that had an exe (x) was not included in the study. From the identified schools random sampling method was used to choose nine teachers and nine students who would participate in the research. All the principals were included automatically. In total ninety students, ninety teachers and te,n principals participated. The questionnaire return rate was 100% for the principals, 89% for both the teachers and the students. Diagnostic and descriptive research design followed by cleaning of the data, coding, classification, tabulation, use of frequencies, charts, percentages and mean were the basis of data analysis. The major findings of the study as the determinants of secondary school drop out were lack of school fees due to poverty, early marriages, pregnancy, suspension/expulsion, family problems Idisputes, poor performance of the students among others. The respondents' recommendations on how to curb this drop out problem included giving more bursaries to needy students, educate students more on sex education, maintenance of high discipline in schools, good conflict resolution methods, establishment of out of school drop out programmes or studies among thers. v The way forward for the study as suggested was that the cost of secondary school which to many was seen as high should be reduced to enable all students to acquire the post basic education which was an outcry that was directed to all policy makers in the education sector. Out of this study what came up as suggestions for further research include a study on the drop outs themselves to find out what becomes of them once they do not complete the education cycle. Another suggestion is the inclusion of the policy makers such as the Minister of Education, curriculum developers at the Kenya institute of Education (K.I.E) as well as examination bodies in future study of the determinants of secondary School drop outs to establish their take on the Issue.